Beauty and the Beast
by Conflate
Summary: More importantly than anything else, was that they fell in love with each other again day after day.


_Certain as the sun_  
_Rising in the east_  
_Tale as old as time_  
_Song as old as rhyme_  
_Beauty and the beast_

* * *

Since the beginning, nobody thought they were going to last. However, after a nearly fifty year long marriage, they both proved everyone wrong.

Now in their late seventies, Aomine and Kise stood side by side as equals. Out of all the Generation of Miracles and their respective partners, these two idiots whom everyone thought started dating as a joke, lasted longer than the rest.

They were happy with their lives, too.

After Kise's injury worsened during his team's match with Seirin in high school, he was forced to quit basketball; there was no helping him while putting his leg through such a strenuous activity. So, after he sat out his match against Midorima, he started going to physical therapy and regained some, but not all of his initial strength. It was hard on him, but thankfully he had Aomine to lean on during that time - he went to every single one of his sessions with him to help him heal. He felt responsible after all, and he blamed himself for seeing the blond so put down, because it was during their match that Kise's injury came into play.

Ever since the day Kise discovered that Aomine had sought out Haizaki after their match and knocked him out cold, the two had returned to speaking terms and Kise discovered that Aomine felt like "complete and utter shit," (the power forward's words exactly; Kise remembers to this day) for having been the driving force that caused Kise to injure himself.

Since then, their relationship started to grow and they soon became more than just friends. They kept in touch through the rest of high school and even through university, and when they met up for the first time after graduation, Aomine proposed he take the blond on a real, official date. From that day forth, the duo had been practically inseparable.

Nearly a year into their relationship, Aomine took Kise to the park where they frequently went jogging every morning together to help Kise keep his leg strong, and got down on one knee beneath the tree where the tanned male cheekily carved their heart-enclosed initials. Kise cried, which Aomine expected and was prepared with a handkerchief, and when he slid the thing, silver band onto his lover's finger, he pulled the blond into a back-breaking hug and held him close for what felt like an eternity.

They got married in America and crashed at Kagami's old home; they met all of the red-head's old friends and made some of their own. With a few of the Generation having gone pro, and the other's leading fulfilling jobs, every one of them were able to attend the ceremony. Even some of Aomine and Kise's high school teammates managed to make it, considering they all stayed in contact after graduation.

The ceremony itself wasn't that big; Kise wanted extravagant, Aomine wanted simple. So, they settled on calling the other their own on one of the sunny beaches of Los Angeles. As if they hadn't planned it out (not at all Aomine told their guests as he pulled off his jacket and slung it over his shoulder once pictures were done), their wedding took place right around the corner from a few local basketball courts.

Everyone played. Kise sat out at first, not wanting to strain himself, but after much coaxing and promising that they'd all go easy on him, the blond caved and joined his friends. It was the newly weds versus pretty much every guest at the ceremony. Aomine did most of the work. Kise just jogged around passing balls for Aomine to make impressive alley oops. All of the others slowed down their play so Kise could enjoy himself as well, and they all cheered every time he shot and scored (those times earned him a kiss from his husband as well). They all loved the idiotic duo and wanted them to be happy on _their_ day, even if it meant embarrassing themselves to let the two win.

Their honeymoon was just as thrilling as their trip to America. Aomine booked the first flight out of America a few days after they had their fill of the land of the free and they were on their way to Paris, France (where Kise consumed as much onion gratin soup as his stomach would allow).

After the excitement of being a newly married couple finally died down and they returned to their respective jobs - Aomine having joined the police force and Kise continuing on with modeling for a short while - they sat down one night and had a serious discussion of where their life was headed now that they were legally bound. It was Kise's bright idea that they adopt a kid, and with the way Kise's face lit up at the idea, Aomine had no choice but to cave and agree. It wasn't that he didn't want to have a kid of their own, he just wanted to wait at least another year so he'd have more time to settle into his job. He was moving up the ranks rather quickly and he wanted to settle down at some point before worrying about another mouth to feed. Given the fact that they lived in a small apartment barely big enough for the two of them, there was no need for them to bring another life into the picture just yet.

Aomine said a year, but before they both knew it two had passed and they were both standing in front of their new home. Kise had stopped modeling due to his leg starting to act up again, so Aomine had to work harder and longer to help pay for his husband's medical bills; Kise still had a lot of money saved up from when he started modeling in junior high, but it was draining quickly and he'd be out before he knew it. Aomine insisted that he pay for Kise's bills along with their living expenses, and after much arguing, Kise finally caved and agreed to save what he had - they'd need it to adopt anyway.

The previously known power forward, now deputy superintendent-general stood with his arm around his blond lover and kissed the side of his head as they both made their way into their new home. Kise took charge of planning the painting, the furniture, the organization... Pretty much everything, and Aomine was quick to agree. Seeing Kise smile the way he was after the few hard years they pushed through was enough to keep him going. Kise's smile was what brought light to his life and filled him with joy. It was the one thing that meant the most to him in the world, besides Kise himself that is.

The adoption process was long and it took them another year to finally be approved; at first they were rejected due to their relationship, but Aomine's standing in his line of work convinced them otherwise, along with the outstanding reviews which were received from all of their close friends and coworkers. A little girl landed in their life not long after, and she was their little princess from that day on. She brought out Aomine and Kise's protective parent sides and the two coddled her and spoiled her so rotten one would expect she would turn out to be a snot-nosed brat. However, she was one of the kindest, sweetest, most caring individuals anyone had ever met. All of their friends adored her, and she even took to calling most of them "papa" which was normally reserved for Aomine alone. The tanned male wasn't very pleased, but didn't show it, because soon enough she came around and he was back to being the only "papa" in her life, Kise being her beloved daddy.

Kise was the type of parent that had a hard time watching their pride and joy grow up, and Aomine was the type to comfort the other as they teared up watching their little girl head off to her first day of school, watched her mature into a young woman in junior high, watched her get her first boyfriend in high school (whom both Aomine and Kise put through numerous surprise interrogations), gave her a shoulder to cry on when university seemed too tough, and handed her off to that same boy from highschool on their wedding day.

At the beginning, their daughter and her husband lived in the house with her parents before they finally found a place of their own. Kise had a hard time remembering that his dear daughter was gone and found himself making more food than was necessary for breakfast, made too make cups of tea, and called out to people who weren't there any longer.

The years seemed to slip from between their fingers faster than they would have hoped and before they both knew it, their hair was greying in places and Aomine was closing in on his retirement. Thankfully, they had enough money saved up so that they could live comfortably together in their small, cozy house. They continued to cuddle with each other on the couch, and though Kise was now found using a wheelchair due to his leg's weakness becoming too much for him to handle, Aomine still took him on dates like he used to when they were young and just starting to date. He treated Kise like the prince he was and spoiled him rotten - he took him to fancy restaurants, took him to the movies, took him every last place he could think of that he thought his now greying lover would like.

Kise always teased Aomine every time they shared a goodnight kiss that his lips were becoming more chapped and wrinkly with each passing day; Aomine didn't have the heart to tell him that his were as well. He let Kise live in his state of infinite beauty, because it was what brought joy to the other, and seeing Kise happy was what mattered the most to Aomine, especially with everything he had been through.

One night after Aomine helped Kise back into the house from dinner, the now retired officer told his husband to wait in the entrance to their home and that he'd be right back. Kise called out to him, playfully teasing that he wouldn't be walking anywhere any time soon as he wheeled himself a little further and entwined his fingers in his lap.

From the other room, he heard a stereo being turned on and before he knew it, tears were brimming in his honey-brown eyes. When Aomine rounded the corner and shuffled back over, he took his husband's hands in his own and helped him stand from his chair. It was the song Kise taught Aomine how to dance to for the very first time, as well as the song they first made love to.

With Kise now standing on shaky legs, he wrapped one of his arms around Aomine's neck as to support himself, the other holding onto his lower back for support as well. Their free hands joined together, and Aomine slowly and steadily led Kise around the house. It was one of Kise's favourite songs from their youth, and as they slowly twirled from one room to the other, he began to sing along. It was a habit he had picked up ever since they adopted their daughter. It was true that he was fond of karaoke, but ever since their daughter had trouble sleeping at night, Kise found himself singing her lullabies to help relax her, and that nightly singing turned into an all-day, every day thing. Aomine didn't mind it though, he loved hearing Kise sing, even if his voice gave out now and then it wasn't the same as it was when they were both in their twenties.

Looking down at the other as he led him around, a soft, loving smile rose to Aomine's lips and he leaned down to sneak a quick kiss from Kise. "You know, Ryouta," he began as the other paused his singing to listen, "You look so beautiful."

The look Aomine received from that simple compliment caused his heart to soar. Kise beamed up at him as if he were sixteen again; the crinkles by his eyes seemed to have faded and his face looked as if it regained it's youth. He looked like the Kise he fell in love with all over again.

That night as they lay in bed together, just like that fateful day when Aomine's basketball soared into the back of Kise's head, fate tore them from the world they knew and they started together again in a different life. They died that night in each other's arms with smiles etched on their faces.

Their story concludes there, they had fulfilled everything they had hoped to accomplish. They got married, bought themselves a night house, raised a beautiful and successful daughter...

And more importantly than anything else, was that they fell in love with each other again day after day.


End file.
